African Lion
While the male spends his time guarding his territory and cubs, the females (lionesses) do almost all of the hunting. They are smaller and some times faster than the male lion. Males can be 5-8 feet long weighing between 350 -550 pounds. A lioness is about 4-5 feet in length and 250-400 pounds. There are several females in a pride which hunt as a group circling the prey, bring it down and suffocate it through strangulation.
Lions usually hunt at night. Some of their favorite prey is antelope, zebras, wild hogs, and African buffalo. A male lion can eat between 70-80 pounds of meat in one meal. The adult males will eat first, followed by the females, and finally the cubs.
A lion's roar can be heard between 5-6 miles away. Both male and females can roar.
The African Lion's status in the wild is vulnerable to extinction. This means they are at high risk of endangerment in the wild as they are threatened by loss of habitat, trophy hunting by humans, and disease.
How You Can Help
To learn more about African Lions and help them survive go to the Big Cat Initiative at http://nationalgeographic.org/projects/big-cats-initiative/
or the African Wildlife Foundation at http://www.awf.org/